Transcreation, as the word indicates, is the merger of two services: translation + creation. It refers to the process of adapting content from one language to another, maintaining the concept and the core message that needs to be conveyed. That means that the tone, intent, and style of the message must be aligned with the culture, idiom, and pun of the target market.

Some differences between translators and transcreators…

In the first place, both processes are quite dissimilar. Translators must work very closely with the source text as it is their guide to accomplish their task, whereas transcreators focus on creating new content. In order to understand what they are expected to transmit and as a way of inspiration, they work with a creative brief provided by the client; then, they reflect its essence in a new message capable of making an impact on the target audience.

Secondly, translators work with words and their meaning. The translation process could be a simple word-for-word exchange (literal or direct translation), or it could involve some creativity, but that is always up to the client’s wishes.

In contrast, transcreators go a little beyond and deal with the emotion and intention of the message. In that sense, they must do thorough research on the target market and learn about their culture and customs in order to adapt the message to a different context while keeping its sense and spirit unaltered.

Thirdly, transcreation specialists are writers. They provide copywriting services along with other creative services such as ideation, conceptualization, and more practical skills such as desktop publishing. Therefore, they have more freedom to be creative and innovative. In fact, with transcreation, the result will always be the creation of new targeted and localized content; unlike a translator’s job, which consists of changing the words from one language to the other to ensure the message remains the same.

Steps every transcreator should follow

Now, let us dive deeper into the transcreation process and go over some of the main steps every transcreator should follow to achieve their goals:

1. Always do a thorough research

It is the first phase of the transcreation process. In order to shape and adapt a consistent message, first, it is key to understand the cultural background of the target audience. This is a challenging task, as it involves learning from new customs and ways of communicating that may be quite different from what the copywriter is used to. In that sense, being flexible and capable of adapting to new audience features is highly required.

2. Catch the essence of the client’s message and stick to it

Although a transcreator’s job is to be creative, there are some elements that will have to remain the same in the finished work to assure the tone, style, and company’s vision are being transmitted to the audience. This is a way of staying true to the client and company’s marketing message, and also shows the importance of receiving a detailed brief from the client before the project kicks off.

3. Tanscreate

Once the transcreator has covered the previous steps, it is time to let the creativity flow and make use of tools and resources such as words, images, and videos, that will help the message land in the target market successfully.

It is important to highlight that a fluid and proactive dialogue between the transcreator and the client will be necessary throughout the whole process in order to guarantee everything goes according to the plan and to deal with any eventuality that may occur.

Why are transcreation services useful?

If your business is willing to expand to new territories, you need to create a tailored message, specifically designed to fit a particular cultural background. If you need to adjust content to impact a foreign audience and help you promote your product, then you require a transcreation provider! This service is the perfect combination of creativity, cultural comprehension, and translation skills, and it can be useful for a wide range of areas such as advertising and marketing, websites, literature, televisual content, video games, mobile apps, and so on.

At Win & Winnow, we adapt to our client’s needs. In that sense, we have a highly qualified team of transcreators that have the experience and expertise necessary to overcome cultural and linguistic gulfs and immediately understand the nature of the objectives that need to be accomplished, who are committed to delivering their projects in a timely and consistent manner. Contact us!